“He died years ago. Never saw him again after he bailed on us. But you know what?” He leaned forward to place his glass on the coffee table.
“What?”
“I’m tired of talking about me. Let’s talk about you for a change,” he said in a voice as sweet as the wine they had just consumed.
A normal Alana response would have been a smart remark guaranteed to put him firmly back in his place, which would have been anywhere she wasn’t. Instead she giggled like a love-hungry teenager, a pretty, rippling sound that tickled Roland’s ears. She curled her long legs up on the sofa and turned so that she was fully facing him. He moved a pillow that was between them and turned so that he was closer to her, his long arm draped across the back of the sofa.
“I’m not that interesting. I can’t think of one interesting thing about me. I’m a mechanic, that’s all.”
“Liar, liar, tight, sexy jeans on fire,” he said, brushing her hair away from her face. “You’re not a mechanic; you’re an artist and a damned good one. You’re funny and sweet and incredibly beautiful. You’re full of it, Alana.”
Mock outrage and merriment filled her eyes and she aimed a small fist at him as if she were going to punch his chin. “That’s a fine way to talk, Roland!”
He took her hand in his and kissed it. “You didn’t let me finish. I was about to say that you’re full of mystery, charm, sweetness and sensuality. See what happens when you don’t let a man finish a sentence?”
“That’s really sweet, but I think you’re the one who’s full of it now and I don’t mean mystery.” She giggled madly as he wrapped his arms around her and planted a kiss on the corner of her mouth.
“Are you coming on to me?” She tried to look stern but failed.
“Is it working? ’Cause if it is, I am.”
They both laughed and she relaxed into his embrace.
“You really are a woman of mystery, though. Why aren’t you painting anymore? Your work is fantastic, Alana. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I do paint. I paint cars,” she said pertly.
“I’m serious,” he protested. “You’re a real artist. Why aren’t you pursuing your art?”
“I haven’t quit painting, not completely. I have a studio and everything. Would you like to see it?”
“Of course I would.” He kissed her cheek and she turned slightly so that their mouths met. It started out slowly, just their lips touching. His tongue outlined her lips and she returned the favor until they were kissing deeply and deliberately, sucking and stroking passionately before Roland broke it off. He tightened his arms around her and made a deep sound that was part passion and part deep regret. “Let’s go see that studio right now before we do something we might regret.”
Without waiting for an answer he stood up and pulled her to her feet.
“That’s a great idea,” Alana said breathlessly.
Her studio was in a sunroom located next to the family room. It was the perfect spot for a studio because it had floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides. It was as tidy as the parts of the house he’d already seen and it looked very organized.
“You weren’t kidding about your painting,” he said. There was a large stretched canvas on a tall easel that bore a portrait of Adrienne looking radiant and obviously pregnant. It wasn’t finished, but it was already a stunning work of art. The one wall that didn’t have windows served as a gallery of sorts; there were lots of unframed pieces in oil, watercolor and pastels. A big slanted worktable held a sketchbook with colored pencil drawings. It caught his attention and he went over to take a closer look.
“This is adorable,” he said. “That’s Sydney, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s a book I’m making for her. She told me about a dream she had about something called ‘Oom-Fala Pie’ and it was so cute that I started making her a little book.” She turned the pages so he could see her progress.
“I’m not an expert on kids’ books, but this is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. You’re amazing.”
The book showed Sydney and Lucas making a fabulous pie for Sherri, with the help of Sugar and Sweetie, the little Westies. It was colorful and engaging and there was a recipe in the back, along with a little song. Roland was totally taken with the book.
“How does the song go?”
“I’ll sing it for you if you promise not to laugh,” she said. “Okay, here goes: Oh, my, Oom-Fala pie, if you never had it you should give it a try! It’s good for girls and it’s good for guys, so have yourself some Oom-Fala Pie!” Her face was flushed and she laughed as she finished the little ditty.
“You know what?”
“What?”
A loud noise followed by a yelp made them both jump. Alana’s eyes widened and she left the studio, headed for the kitchen with Roland on her heels. They were greeted by the sight of Adrienne hopping on one foot with a frown on her face.
“Don’t pay me any attention,” she said crossly. “I had a sudden urge for watermelon and I dropped it on my foot. I should have cut it up before I put it in the refrigerator.”
In minutes Roland had retrieved the errant melon and sliced it up before cutting it into manageable cubes, while Alana made her sister sit down and examined her foot. She made an ice pack out of a bag of frozen peas and made her put her foot up on a small stool.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt your evening, but I do appreciate the attention,” Adrienne said gratefully.
“Think nothing of it,” Roland said easily. “And actually I think it’s time that I hit the road. It’s getting late. Thanks again for your hospitality, Adrienne.”
She waved goodbye with a chunk of melon and Alana walked him to the door. She took his jacket out of the closet and handed it to him.
“Thanks again, Alana. I had a great time.”
“You’re more than welcome, Roland. I enjoyed myself, too.”
“So what’s on your agenda for the rest of the week?”
“It’s a busy week for me. Adrienne’s furniture is getting here tomorrow and I’ll be helping her get moved in. And Alexis and Jared’s anniversary party is this weekend, and...”
Her words stopped as Roland covered her mouth with his. It was a long, sweet kiss with just the right amount of tenderness. He tipped her chin up and gazed down at her. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow. I couldn’t let two beautiful women handle a big moving job by themselves. And I’ll definitely see you this weekend. We can go to the party together.”
Without waiting for her answer he kissed her again and left without another word. She was still standing in the doorway when Adrienne came to find her. She had a bowl of watermelon in one hand and was guiding another piece to her mouth.
“This was fun, Sissie. We’ve got to do this again.”
Alana shook herself and walked over to the sofa, sitting down hard as if all her bones had dissolved. Adrienne curled up next to her, plucking another chunk of the cold red melon in her fingertips. “What’s the matter with you? You look kinda dazed or something.”
Alana took the juicy bite away from her sister and popped it in her mouth. “I think I’m getting in way over my head, Adrienne. Way, way over my head. Tonight was a huge mistake.”
* * *
Luckily, the next few days were so busy that Alana didn’t have time to dwell on her so-called mistake.
She and Adrienne had a talk while they polished off the rest of the watermelon and Adrienne had assured her that she had no reason to feel conflicted over spending a pleasant evening with a nice man. Alana had mostly listened, since Adrienne did most of the talking.
They didn’t talk for very long because a big bowl of melon combined with a pregnant woman’s bladder meant that a bathroom break took priority over everything else, so when nature called they went to bed. And surprisingly, Alana slept al
l night without her usual triple-X movie features. Her dream was rather sweet and funny for a change, all about Sydney’s dogs dancing around with little hats on while Sydney sang the Oom-Fala song. There was something about a pile of books on a big table covered with a hot pink cloth and a crowd of people smiling and clapping and both Sam and Roland were there, which was just crazy, but she didn’t wake up sobbing and sweaty for a change.
* * *
Moving day was relatively easy because everyone turned out to help. Roland was there, along with Jared and Alexis and a few guys from the restaurant. Tollie came to lend a hand, too, and with so many people, the unpacking and furniture arranging went rapidly.
Of course, it was due mostly to Aretha’s supervision. Alana’s mother, Aretha Sharp, was the reason that all the Sharp sisters were so tidy and organized. Aretha could make a plan and execute it faster than anyone and she had things moving like clockwork. She even managed to corral Ava, the youngest of the sisters, into being a valuable asset to the process. Ava kept the cold drinks coming, picked up the lunch and snacks for everyone and was responsible for breaking down the boxes as they were emptied.
Alexis was on kitchen duty, putting all the dishes and utensils in the dishwasher before putting them away. Due to her pregnancy, it was all Jared would let her do and he wasn’t thrilled about even that light activity. He kept coming to check on her, making sure she was comfortable and not overdoing it.
Alana watched the two of them in action with a thoughtful look on her face. When he departed to help assemble Adrienne’s bed, she had a question for her sister.
“Do you ever feel like Jared babies you too much?” Alana asked curiously.
“Nope, not a bit. He’s perfect for me,” Alexis assured her. “I like being pampered and he likes to pamper me so it’s a win-win. Besides, I give as good as I get,” she said with a very private smile.
“Oh. I was just wondering,” Alana said lamely.
“Wondering about what? About abandoning your independence to a strong man in a committed relationship? Because it’s not that cut-and-dried, I can tell you that,” Alexis said. “You know what I mean. Look at you and Sam. I remember how you were with him and how he was with you. Don’t worry, Alana. I know it’s been a long time for you but you’ll be just fine.”
Alana’s confusion showed on her face. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m just saying that you had a deep, loving relationship with a man who adored you, who took care of you and understood you, and the best part is that he allowed you to return those feelings. You’ve been on your own for a long time and you’re used to that, but when the right man comes into your life you’ll be able to have that again,” she said.
“Alana, how about we take a break for a while? You’ve been working for hours and you could use a time out.” Roland had entered the kitchen with the silent grace of a panther and as he spoke, he took a stack of large baking utensils out of Alana’s arms and put them on the designated shelf.
Alexis beamed happily as Roland took Alana’s hand to lead her off for a brief respite from the hubbub of boxes, crates, bubble wrap and the like.
Alana, on the other hand, looked like a woodland creature staring down the high beams of a fast-moving semitruck. Her cell phone rang and she snatched it out of her pocket and answered it as fast as humanly possible.
“Hello?” she said breathlessly. “Oh, yeah, no problem, Mama, I’ll do it right now.”
She raised her hands helplessly and mumbled something about running an errand for Aretha. Before Roland could stop her, she was gone. He looked to Alexis for an explanation.
“Did I do something wrong?”
Alexis shook her head. “No, dear, you’re doing something right. It’s time for us to have a little talk, Roland. In fact, it’s a little overdue. Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight and I’ll remedy that.”
Roland thought about it for a minute or two before saying no-thanks. “I appreciate it, Alexis, but I think this is something that Alana and I are going to have to work through on our own. I don’t know her as well as I intend to, but I don’t think she’d like the idea of me getting information about her secondhand. She’s not ready to confide in me yet, and I can handle that. For right now, I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing until she tells me to stop.”
Alexis smiled tearfully. “If I wasn’t so pregnant I’d get off this stool and give you a big hug, Roland. You know what you’re doing.”
* * *
“I could have met you there, Roland. There was no reason for you to come all the way over here to get me,” Alana said as she greeted him at the door.
“There was every reason,” Roland contradicted her. “I always pick up my date, for one thing. For another thing, I wanted to see your smile when I gave you these,” he said as he handed her a stunning arrangement of tulips in a thick crystal vase.
They were a beautiful shade of orange and they were so perfect they almost didn’t look real. Alana’s smile did, however; it was easy to see that she was touched and very pleased with them. “Roland, these are absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much,” she said.
“There it is! That’s the look I wanted to see. I love that smile of yours. And the other reason I wanted to come over to get you was because I wanted to be the first one to see how gorgeous you look.”
Alana thanked him with a bashful smile. She was casually attired in slim-fitting jeans and an ivory cashmere sweater with a big cowl neck. Her only jewelry was an armful of silver bangle bracelets and big silver hoop earrings. Soft black ballet flats completed her simple but sexy outfit.
“You’re looking pretty handsome yourself. Let me put these on the coffee table and get my coat and we can go.”
The anniversary party was festive and homey at the same time. They were greeted at the door by Alexis’s dogs, who considered themselves the hostesses of every gathering. Alexis and Jared were both aglow with happiness, the same way they’d been at their wedding. Her parents were there, and Jared’s were, too, all full of joy over marking the couple’s first year of marriage.
Alana was happy, too; how could she not be, seeing the way Jared looked at her sister with so much love and tenderness? Incipient motherhood was extremely becoming to Alexis, she thought. She’d always been a pretty woman, but with the love and caring that she and her husband lavished on each other, Alexis looked absolutely beautiful. Jared obviously thought so, too, because he was always near her, touching her in some way. It was particularly sweet when he would place his hand on their baby-to-be and then say something meant for her alone. The way her face would light up would have been a little saccharine on anyone else, but on Alexis it looked just perfect.
Lucas and Sherri were equally blissful. The brand-newlyweds also couldn’t stay away from each other. Sherri’s brother David couldn’t make it from D.C., but her parents were there, which was different, but nice. Ever since Sherri’s ex-fiancé, Trevor Barnes, who was Sydney’s biological father, had shown up in Columbia and tried to weasel his way back into Sherri’s life, things had changed radically between Sherri and her cold, conservative parents. Once they realized that Trevor was, as Lucas put it, “bat-shit crazy”, the walls that had always been between the Strattons and their children had come tumbling down.
The Strattons were much warmer and more human now; they doted on their granddaughter Sydney so much that Sherri feared she’d get spoiled, but so far she was still a little angel. The change in her parents was amazing. Mrs. Stratton was not only smiling and being friendly to everyone, she’d had her hair cut into a becoming style and she was wearing a pretty pink sweater with a matching pair of slacks. Her old wardrobe had been all beige, all the time.
Alana was quietly observing everyone from her seat in a double-sized armchair next to Roland. It was a great party. Everyone was relaxed and having fun. The love that was flowi
ng around the room was almost visible to the naked eye. People were starting to make toasts, which were funny and touching at the same time.
When it was Jared’s turn, he stood behind his wife with his arms around her, kissing her on the cheek before he began. His blond hair was artfully styled, thanks to Alexis, and his blue-green eyes sparkled with joy as he began speaking.
“We want to thank everyone for coming over to celebrate our first year of marriage. For me, it’s been the most amazing time of my life. My wife is the best gift I’ve ever gotten and the beautiful baby inside her makes me love her even more. I’ve been very blessed, and I know it. I have a great family, great friends and a career that I thoroughly enjoy,” he said.
Sookie and Honeybee barked indignantly and everyone laughed. “And we have two of the most amazing dogs in the world who never let me forget it,” he said with a laugh. “But I can tell you that nothing in my entire life has ever meant as much to me as the love and trust and respect of the beautiful lady with whom I will spend the rest of my life.”
He turned her around to face him, cupping her face with one hand. “I love you more every day and I thank you every day for loving me. Happy Anniversary, beauty.”
Everyone was applauding and tears were flowing and it was just a really sweet thing to witness. Alana was as touched as everyone else, although she couldn’t ignore a hot pang in her heart. She was happy for her sister’s happiness and no one deserved it more than she did, unless it was Sherri. And as though the universe was agreeing with her, another toast came a few minutes later. Lucas stood in the center of the room with Sydney on his hip and his arm around Sherri. He was looking proud and happy, like the king of the world when he began speaking.
“We want to congratulate Jared and Alexis and wish them a lifetime of continued happiness. And we want to share some happiness with everyone. When Sherri and I went on our honeymoon, which was incredible, by the way, we brought back a lot of gifts and souvenirs for our little girl. But we also brought her the one she really wanted and she wants to tell you what it is, don’t you, cutie?”
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